The construction of a new house is regulated by standards and protected by contracts, which define the time frame for each project stage. The construction schedule is thus easier to explain. Moreover, it allows to manage the budget more efficiently and foresee a notice to move in time.
House construction time: a project in several stages
The construction of a new house is done in several steps, requiring more or less time. The table below will give you an overview of a typical house construction schedule:
Staking:
– Delineation of the boundaries of the land, with or without a surveyor.
– Very fast: one day is enough.
The earthwork:
– Preparation of the land: levelling and digging the ground, digging the future pipes, etc.
– From one day to (very often) one week depending on:
– the size of the future construction;
– the presence or not of a basement;
– the nature of the soil, etc.
– This step requires dry soil, so waiting for good weather conditions is essential.
Drainage:
– Evacuation of water from the soil.
– Depends significantly on the moisture present in the soil and the method used.
Foundations:
– Preparation of the base of the future house.
– One day to several days in case of deep or semi-deep foundations and according to the surface of the future house.
The basement:
– The bases of the walls are laid.
– Between 2 and 6 weeks depending on the surface of the house, its complexity, the presence of a basement, the type of material chosen, etc.
The paving:
– Installation of the formwork and pouring of the concrete inside the walls.
– Quick, if the slab is poured in the ground in one go in the case of a small surface.
– It is advisable to split the slab in a checkerboard pattern for larger surfaces to avoid cracking when the concrete shrinks.
– The time required to walk on the concrete and continue building on it is 3 days. The concrete then reaches its maximum strength after about 3 weeks.
Watertight – airtight:
– Walls, framing, under-roof insulation, woodwork, roofing, etc.
– Between 4 and 8 months on average depending on:
– the type of house chosen;
– the weather conditions;
– the builder’s schedule, etc.
Interior partitioning, tiling and insulation:
– Delimitation of rooms and interior insulation, both phonic and thermal.
– Several weeks, depending on the surface to be worked.
Plumbing and electricity (done in parallel with the partitioning):
– Installation and connection of the various networks.
– The trades working on the networks usually intervene simultaneously as the masons, thus saving you a few precious weeks.
Exterior cladding:
– Most of the houses to be built are delivered with an exterior coating such as plaster.
– About a week.
– It may take a little longer or shorter, depending on the coating chosen.
The generally accepted time frame for building a house is 8 months to a year: this time frame cannot be defined as fixed since too many details come into play in the final calculation. However, the signed construction contract gives you a good idea of how long the construction will take.
House construction time: contract and delivery guarantee
The delivery guarantee at the agreed price and time is provided when you sign the contract to construct a single-family home. The builder must deliver your new house within the terms set at the signing of this contract. The penalties provided will apply in the event of delay attributable to the manufacturer.
An amendment to the contract can nevertheless be considered, only with your agreement and after signature.
Good to know: the prefabrication makes it possible to shorten the times of construction relating to the contents of the contract of construction of an individual house, in the case where the manufacturer ensures the manufacture, the installation and the assembly on the building site of prefabricated elements.
Planning construction house: what to do in the event of delay?
In the event of delay in the delivery periods, the organization has proposed that the guarantee of delivery takes charge of the fixed penalties envisaged with the contract when this delay exceeds 30 days.
The regulations impose a correspondence between late payment and late delivery penalties. Thus, the penalty rate for late payment cannot exceed 1% per month, calculated on the unpaid amounts, if the liability for late delivery is limited to 1/3,000th of the price per day of delay.
Good to know: since the penalties for delay are due upon delivery of the work and not upon acceptance, a clause in a delivery guarantee contract providing several possible terms for these penalties is illegal.
House construction: time limit to retract
When you sign a contract to construct a single-family home, the law provides for 10 days during which you can withdraw from your commitment. The retraction must be done by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The sums paid must then be reimbursed within a maximum of 21 days.
